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Bruce Jenner's Mom: 'I'll Always Love Him'

By Meredith B. Kile 4:28 PM PST, February 4, 2015

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As speculation continues surrounding Bruce Jenner's gender identity, the 65-year-old Olympian’s mother spoke to the Associated Press on Wednesday, praising his courage and saying she is "at peace with what he is and what he's doing."

Bruce has made no public statement about his alleged transition, and Esther Jenner neither confirmed or denied speculation, but provided some further details, describing a conversation she recently had with her son.

"He said, 'I want to be honest about my identity and I know this is coming out in the press,'" Jenner told AP. "He started by saying, 'We need to have a long, serious talk.'"

The 88-year-old widow spoke to reporters on the phone from her home in Lewiston, Idaho, admitting that the news was initially "a shock," but that she and her family are close and "very supportive of Bruce."

During their talk, Jenner reportedly reassured his mother that he was "still the same person," and would continue to pursue his interest in racing cars, flying planes, and plans to get his helicopter license.

"It was brief and I said I was proud of him and that I'll always love him," Esther Jenner told reporters of the conversation. "I never thought I could be more proud of Bruce when he reached his goal in 1976, but I'm more proud of him now. It takes a lot of courage to do what he's doing."